Bioscientifica Proceedings

The pineal gland has a major role in the translation of scotophase duration into a hormonal signal by the hormone melatonin. Animals such as sheep, goats and deer use the seasonal variation of this signal to coordinate reproductive behaviour with the environment. Despite intensive research over more than 30 years the site(s) of action of melatonin and the resultant intracellular responses are still not clear. This review discusses recent work that has localized the site of act...